General Education

Get Ready for an Awesome Career With Technical College

Are you searching for an amazing career but unsure if college is right for you? If so, it's important to know that attending a four-year college or university isn't the only way to find a terrific job. There are technical schools across the country that are on the cutting edge of new industries and technologies and that can also offer you a rapid way to enter the work force and take steps toward an awesome career.

People have different ideas about what constitutes "technical college." A technical school is typically one that provides two-year training in needed skills areas to be able to enter a specific field such as the computer information systems, culinary arts, HVAC, or more. In other words, if the school is more career or employment-focused (rather than say, a broad liberal arts education), it can be considered a technical school.

Enter the world of robotics

One of the newest and most interesting programs to be found in technical college is the field of robotics and automation technology. In this field, you'll work with high-tech, high-speed automated robotic systems, and can look for job opportunities in the manufacturing sector. If you love all things mechanical, this career could be a good match for you.

The career can allow you to work with electrical and electronic circuits, mechanical systems and more. Starting salary for a robotics technician is about $40,000 to $50,000. So why go after a career in robotics? Airports, cities, and bomb squads use robotics. That's right, bomb squads. It doesn't get more awesome than that.

Emergency preparation: Professional heroes

Are you able to stay levelheaded when faced with high stress? Are you a good communicator? If so, a career as an emergency management specialist might be perfect for you. U.S. News & World Report named the occupation as one of the 50 best jobs of 2011, partly due to the job opportunities in both in public and private sectors. A career in emergency management will allow you to work behind the scenes to coordinate emergency relief efforts. In other words, you get to be a hero as part of your job.

A degree in Homeland Security will allow you to learn more about public safety and emergency procedures as well as planning, implementing and managing security operations. Make sure that the curriculum for any program you choose meets the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The starting salary for this profession is around $35,000 to $45,000.

Lights, camera, action!

One of the most exciting industries to work in is communications, specifically television, radio, and movies. Whether you're a broadcast technician working to perfect the clear sound of radio and TV broadcasts or a sound engineering technician mixing music in movies, you've got job opportunities in almost every city in the country.

"In a broadcast technology program, you'll study everything from electronics and digital audio formats to government regulations and math." The College Board website said.

Starting salary is generally dependent on where you land a job, as higher paying jobs are found in larger metropolitan areas where there are bigger broadcasting networks (competition will also be fiercer in these bigger cities).

There's an awesome career for everyone

If you're not sure where to begin your search, you can start by using the vocational schools database at rwm.org, which will allow you to look for schools by type of program and location. Or check out the Association for Career and Technical Education, which offers information on technical schools as well as an extensive state and regional network for members.

There are technical programs in everything from landscape design to cabinetmaking, nursing to culinary arts, and graphic design to machine tool technology. With all these options, you can find an awesome career out there for you.